Ocarina of Time: Awakening
by Flutist Girl
Summary: The story untold of the awakening of Link from his seven dark years of sleep, and the people whose fates are inseperably intertwined with his. LinkOC
1. Prologue

Author's Notes/Disclaimer: First things first, I do not own "Zelda" or any characters thereof. I also do not claim to writing all of this story. The "Anay" sections and parts labeled in some fashion were written by my friend, whom I will refer to as Anay101. I did most of the "Darkstar" sections and ones labeled "Darkstar". This story is written by both of us and she deserves equal (if not much, much more) credit than I do. It is posted with her consent, so don't worry. This story takes place during the seven dark years of the Ocarina of Time, spoilers galore, yada yada. Enjoy.

Prologue (Darkstar- flutist girl's part)

She supposed she should be terrified. Perhaps she should scream in terror or faint like the frail ladies of the Hyrulean Court, but she felt nothing but the blackness that she had so carefully hid her feelings in.

It wasn't the first battle she had been trapped in, and neither would it be the last.

She clung to a rail on the wall as the small ship lurched again. Above deck she could hear the captain bellowing orders and the crew pushing themselves to their limits to follow them. Lightning tore the sky into pieces and the girl's unnaturally keen ears were ringing from the thunder.

A second tremor shook the ship so fiercely that she was thrown to the opposite wall. She grimaced as she made out the sound of canons.

"You, Shekiah!"

A sailor stood in the doorway, his bulky frame taking up almost all of the entryway. "Captain wants you."

She rose to her feet, rubbing the spot where her arm had been slammed into a bunk. With speed unnatural even for a Shekiah she zipped past the sailor.

The captain waited for her at the top of the stairs. He was an intimidating man, standing a head taller than anyone on the ship and dressed in the red and gold linens of nobility. His ebony hair was plastered to his head with the rain, and she could make out a myriad of emotions in his gray eyes.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her to an office at the back of the ship. It wasn't a far venture, but it was enough for the Shekiah to pick up mutinous glares pointed at both her and the captain.

The office was cozy and tight, holding only a desk, a comfortable chair, and shelves on the walls holding compasses, maps, and other navigational tools.

The captain massaged his temples as if entirely fatigued as he sat in his chair. "What is your name, girl?"

"Captain Nasir, I don't understand…"

"Yes you do!" he snapped at her. She recoiled, not expecting this from the cool tempered captain.

He sighed, as if apologizing for the outburst. "What is your _real_ name? You are not called Ayami, are you?"

She lowered her head as if ashamed. "No," she whispered. "I am not Ayami."

"Then what is your name?"

The girl raised her head, her ruby eyes burning with concealed anger. "The name given to me is Darkstar of the Moon, although I am more commonly called Darkstar, and I am one of the few Shekian survivors."

The captain leaned back in his chair and put his head in his hands. "I have been harboring a fugitive…"

Darkstar averted her eyes. "Captain Nasir, I meant you no harm. If I knew that word of me had spread I would have taken another route, believe me!"

He eyed her curiously. "Whether you intended this to happen or not, it makes no difference to me now. Servants of the King are attacking us, wanting _you_ in payment for their retreat! The crew has half a mind to hand you over here and now, do you see the position this puts me in?"

Darkstar nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

His voice was gentle now, full of sympathy and regret. "I have no grudge against you, and anyone who defies King Ganondorf is a friend of mine, but you must understand that I must return you to Hyrule."

Darkstar's breath became panicked and for a moment Nasir feared that she would pass out, but the lapse of emotion passed and she replaced her stoic expression. "You swore to take me safely to Calita."

"I know I did, but Dark—"

"No!" she screamed furiously. "I can't go back, you must understand!"

Nasir looked truly apologetic. "I'm sorry, Darkstar of the Moon, but I did what I must."

At this two of the King's guard entered. "Is this the one?" the tallest of the pair asked.

"Yes," Nasir said softly. "Take her away quickly."

The two men sprang foreword but Darkstar was too fast. She leapt for the doorway but a group of about twenty men was waiting for her. As strong and skilled of a fighter as she was, she was no match for the soldiers. Soon her hands were roughly chained behind her back and she was gagged.

"Can you hurry up?" Nasir asked. "I have a destination I must reach before the winds shift."

The soldiers did so, dragging the struggling girl to the adjacent ship. Nasir turned his back, not wanting to see the broken look on the Shekiah's face.

A glint in the corner of his office caught his eye and he went to investigate. He recognized the symbol immediately, an eye with a tear that reminded all who saw it how they had been oppressed from their very creation. Nasir clenched his hand on the pendant and let the chain dangle from his palm.

"I'm no better than the king himself…"

* * *

The time she spent on the ship was uneventful for Darkstar. She was locked in a dark and damp room below deck, roughly chained up in a cell crafted for prisoners. Soon she lost track of time entirely, it was impossible to tell if she had been there for days…weeks…months… 

Still, she found herself cherishing these moments, much as a prisoner savors the little time before his execution.

Food was brought to her at random intervals, as if the sailors only fed her when they remembered that she actually existed. On the stale water and bread she went rapidly from slender to painfully thin…

But she would be content to live there forever if it meant freedom from Hyrule, the place she knew she must inevitably end up in.

She awoke from a dreamless sleep, aching from being curled up so tight against the cold. As she regained her night vision she found her rations laid out next to her, which she attacked vigorously. To her surprise, she tasted dried grapes in her bread, and it was a bit softer than usual. Instead of water, her jug was filled with a juice of crushed berries. She figured that these were the leftovers from the feast the sailors had to celebrate their nearing to land…

_Hyrule…_

Darkstar sighed despairingly, knowing that she had a day, if she was lucky, before she would find herself in the hands of Ganondorf and locked up in the land she so passionately despised.

Unexpectedly, the ship hit something, sending Darkstar flying into the wall of her prison. The crates around her had the same reaction, and one that had been perilously placed at the top of the stack launched toward her. The wooden box stood no chance against the iron bars, and it shattered upon impact, sending splinters everywhere and leaving the contents rolling on the floor.

Darkstar sat for a long while, fearing that someone would have heard the crash and come to investigate. After a while, she allowed herself to relax, but she waited a little longer just to be safe.

It was a bottle of some kind, about a hand span in diameter, which gracefully diminished to a point at the top that was about a sixth the size of the bottom. It was stopped with a cork, and Darkstar could see a label of sorts but couldn't quite make it out.

She extended her fingers as far as she could and crept foreword until the shackles on her ankles were taut. Her fingers barely grazed the bars, and it was disheartening to see the cargo on the ground only a few centimeters from her fingertips.

She stretched her body to its very limits, feeling the burn in her arms and legs increase with every move forward, and was rewarded with the feeling of cool glass against the very tip of her longest finger. She willed it to come to her as a child might coax a stray pet, and it seemed the waves finally heard her as the rocking of the ship sent the bottle rolling peacefully into her palm.

Darkstar recoiled into the corner, clutching her stolen prize close to her heart. She stroked the sides, feeling runes and symbols foreign to her carved into the thick glass. Not able to make out the writing even with her sensitive eyes, she moved her fingers slowly across the glass time and time again, memorizing the feel of the symbols. It seemed that a single phrase was repeated over and over again.

"Get the girl!" someone yelled, and instantly there was banging on the door. She curled up, trying to make herself as small as possible as she shoved the bottle into a pouch at her side, but in the end the soldiers were still at the door, one holding a large ring of keys.

The door swung open and Darkstar was lifted roughly to her feet as a soldier unlocked the chains on her legs. Her hands were tied tightly together with a length of rope and one of the men held the end as one would hold a leash. "Not a sound," he growled.

Darkstar shut her eyes and relied on the sailor to guide her as she stepped above deck for the first time in an eternity. The harsh light came as a shock to her, even with her eyes closed, and made her stumble. She picked herself up when one of the men jabbed her harshly with the blunt end of his spear and proceeded with her hands over her eyes.

"You do understand that she's worth quite a sum, sir. You can understand my caution. On one hand, if we give her to the king, we'll be living like emperors the rest of our lives. On the other, if she's found dead and the king tracks her back to us…"

"I can sympathize with your plight, but the girl is more trouble than she's worth," said a calm and assured voice. "I believe we understand this, at least. Take or leave my offer, I do not have all day."

Darkstar started at the familiarity of the voice. "Nasir?" she asked quietly, still not uncovering her eyes.

There was laughter from more than one man aboard. "Seems she hasn't forgotten you, Nasir."

"I would be surprised if she did."

For a while, she let this sink in. She heard footsteps approach her and the man holding her rope backed up a little. She could tell that Nasir was standing before her.

"You…" she said softly. She took her hands off her eyes slowly, and to her relief, she could stand the sunlight. Right ahead of her was Nasir, looking at her intently and sorrowfully.

For a while she appeared confused, but then her mood rapidly changed.

She leapt at Nasir, letting out a strangled cry of anger. The sailor who held her rope leapt on her and tackled her to the ground. She struggled against the hands that held her fast to the deck, hissing threats to everyone in sight.

Exasperated with his captive, the man who held her drew a knife and twirled it as if preparing to strike.

"Don't hurt her!" Nasir yelled as he ran toward her. "Leave her be."

The sailor looked at him as if were insane. In a heavy seaman's accent, he said, "What care ye?"

Nasir stepped forward and gestured for the man to give him her rope. "I am the cause of her pain and heartache, I would not harm her further."

"Seems she hasn't forgiven you as of yet, at any rate."

Darkstar lay on the ground, no longer restrained but unwilling to get up. Her entire being quivered with anger, and the look in her eyes was strong enough to kill.

The captain of the ship laughed. "This is quite a price you offer for so worthless a girl. I accept your offer. Take her to your ship, but one of my men will stay aboard to make sure your end of the bargain is upheld."

The man holding Darkstar's leash stepped forward. "This is Caspian, he will be the one to accompany you and the girl."

Nasir nodded. "Let us depart then."

It seemed that Darkstar's original anger had subsided a bit, but she still stared daggers at Nasir as she was taken aboard his ship.

She didn't complain when she was led to the same cabin she had been in on her previous venture, nor was she surprised when Caspian stood by the door like a statue after he tied her rope to a nearby post.

She curled up in the corner and slept.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One (Darkstar- flutist girl) 

"Darkstar," a voice called softly.

She flicked her hand at the source of the voice as a warning. "Go away," she groaned.

"Darkstar, please."

She opened one eye, thoroughly annoyed, to see Nasir kneeling beside her. She moved her hands and, to her surprise, found that she had been freed from the rough rope leash.

She smiled maliciously. "You do know I could kill you, right?"

"I won't stop you," Nasir said sadly. "I deserve it."

This took Darkstar aback. She stared deep into his eyes, trying to detect a single shred of a lie, but found nothing but sincerity.

This doused her anger like water on a flame. She suddenly became aware of the deep lines in his face, only made deeper by the flickering candle in his hand. She tilted her head to one side. "Why'd you come back?"

Nasir smiled. "I felt guilty, first and foremost of all. I saw your pendant," here he pulled out the golden symbol on the chain and placed it in her hand, "and I remembered the history of your people."

Darkstar looked away.

"And I didn't want to be one of the ones responsible for the death of such a proud and beautiful race."

There was silence for a long time, and when Darkstar looked up, she was crying. "I am the last one then?" she asked despairingly.

"Even Lady Impa has disappeared…" He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Darkstar didn't reply, but wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her tunic.

"But," Nasir continued, "I was searching through some old documents of mine and I found a note on _why_ you are wanted by Ganondorf."

She smiled sadly. "How much did it tell you?"

"Only of a prophecy, and a vague one at that. But still, if you are the one foretold, then Ganondorf will have reasons for wanting you."

"I still doubt I'm it though," Darkstar said simply. "I think he just wants me because of all the information I stole."

Nasir smiled genuinely. "There's a way to find out. Go to Hyrule. If you find the one called Anay then…"

"It's a moot point," she interrupted angrily. "I'm not going back to Hyrule."

Nasir opened his mouth to object, but closed it as he saw the look in her eyes. There was so much anger, hatred, fear, and sadness. Nasir wondered fleetingly what it was that made her hate the golden land so strongly.

"Then I will help you escape."

Darkstar looked up. "At the expense of your life? You'd be willing to risk a fate worse than death for me?"

"Why else do you think I came back?" He stood up and began to pace. "Before King Ganondorf came into power, I was a wealthy seaman. I traded with Calita, and when I came home I always had my wife and daughter to keep me company."

"And then the Hero of Time was exiled…Ganondorf came into power. The king's men, in his conquest to take over their village of Kuato, murdered my wife and daughter. I still served him out of fear. But I'm _tired_ of…"

He stopped and took a deep breath. "That man…no, that _monster_…does not deserve to sit on the Hyrulean throne. If you are anyone that stands even a _chance_ of putting a just ruler on the throne once more, than I will give my life to assist you."

Darkstar bit her lip. "Okay then, even of you hold the willpower, how do you plan on doing it?"

Nasir gestured for her to stand as he pulled a large map from his cloak. He laid it on a table in the corner, putting heavy items like candles and shells on the corners to keep it from rolling up on itself again.

"The pact I made with the captain of the other ship was simple; I offer the added protection of my ship in exchange for you staying aboard. I said I would escort you to the shores of Lake Hylia," he gestured to a point on the map, "at this port."

He moved his finger southward along the map until he reached a narrow river that connected the open sea to the enclosed lake. "This is Zora's Pass, the only way into Lake Hylia by way of the sea. Despite it's appearance on the map, it is wide enough for two ships to sail abreast and is easy sailing. Once we go through the pass and get to about _here_," he pointed to a small island in the center of the lake, "I will be able to deposit you onto this little island. Beneath the surface lies the Water Temple, a haven for all those who oppose Ganondorf. The Zoras will be there, and you will be able to seek their aid."

"But the other ship?" Darkstar asked.

"I have planned it so that you will be able to get onto the island itself unseen, and we will continue on for a little ways. Once we reach the port I will flee, but if worst comes to worst, this ship is well equipped for battle."

Nasir went on, discussing every little detail to the hopeful Darkstar, unaware that Caspian was outside their door, listening in the shadows.

* * *

It was two days before they reached Zora's Pass, and Darkstar found enjoyment in watching the sleek bodied Zoras zip through the waters, their bluish bodies invisible to untrained eyes. The river was pure, she noted, much purer than the moat that supplied Castle Town with water.

She had played the part of helpless maiden to fool Caspian, but inside she was bubbling with anxiety. Nasir never mentioned it again, but she could tell that he hadn't forgotten by the wink he gave her every now and then.

After half a day's sailing the reddish walls of the pass gave way to endless cerulean waters. In the distance was the silhouette of a single tree, marking the small island where Darkstar was to go.

"Caspian," Nasir called. "Go to your ship and tell them they are running low on fresh water. We'll stop at that island and look for an inlet."

Caspian raised an eyebrow. "I thought we had plenty…"

Nasir shrugged. "Check for yourself, if you will."

Darkstar smirked, remembering how last night she had carefully poured all but a little of the water overboard while Caspian and the crew were asleep.

After being satisfied that their rations were indeed low, Caspian flagged down the other ship and conversed with the captain. He returned with the captain's consent, and they altered their course to reach the island.

Darkstar felt as if sparks of life has been scattered throughout her veins. She tingled with excitement, barely able to contain herself.

The Zoras would take her to Calita, she was sure of it. She would never have to live under the harsh Hyrulean sun again. She could leave, and eventually, perhaps she could forget her dark past as well.

When the anchor was dropped and the crew on the island, Nasir put a hand on Darkstar's shoulder.

"Make Ganondorf pay."

Darkstar nodded silently.

"Go along," Nasir whispered. "Goodbye."

Darkstar walked away slowly, and removed her boots so she could feel the grass in between her toes. She went over and lounged casually by the tree, seeing the enemy's ship in the distance.

"Come aboard men!" Nasir shouted. "Break's up."

Darkstar took this as her cue and she shimmied unseen up the tree. Using all of the energy she possessed, she called on the power of her ancestors to shield herself from the eyes of the crew.

Once the anchor was lifted, she removed her shield and gracefully slid to the ground. She looked up at Nasir, memorizing his face and vowing to repay him. He raised his hand in farewell.

From a distance, she could his expression of worry and his lips formed words that she couldn't hear. She tilted her head to one side, showing confusion. He repeated it, this time moving his lips more frantically.

_Caspian!_

The word hadn't even registered in her mind before she felt cold steel against her throat as she simultaneously felt his other hand lock around her wrists in an iron grip.

She could only watch in despair as some sort of magic flare went up, signaling the other ship of Nasir's betrayal. The enemy ship turned around, it had never been too far off anyway, and Darkstar saw the side panels of the ship slide away to reveal canons.

"Nasir!" Darkstar screamed at the top of her lungs. "Nasir, leave!"

But her ally ship was sailing toward her, Nasir's eyes full of concern for her.

"If that's the way he wants it…" Caspian hissed into her ear.

Darkstar jerked to her right as if to attempt escape but Caspian pressed the knife closer to her throat. "I really don't want to kill you, missy. That's the master's job." But she could tell that he would love nothing more than to take her life that very instant.

"Darkstar!"

Nasir was on the island now. Behind him were his ship and crew, fighting a battle they could not possibly win, while he stood with his saber bared and gleaming in the fading sunlight.

He advanced toward Caspian slowly, keeping in mind the current status quo.

"Caspian," he called. "Please, you have no quarrel with her."

He didn't reply, only tightened his grip on her wrists.

"At least fight me honorably in combat!" Nasir cried desperately.

Caspian raised a single eyebrow. "Is _that_ what you wish? I would have thought you valued your life more than the pittance this girl is worth."

Nasir didn't answer, but held his battle stance.

"Nasir…" Darkstar began, but Caspian kicked the insides of her knees and she fell to the ground. She felt his hands leave her wrists for only a split second before another different bond took their place.

She gaped as he walked in front of her and she experimentally tried to stand, thinking herself freed, when her chains released a strong jolt of electricity through her entire being. She screamed, not so much out of pain as of shock, and fell flat on her stomach. She moaned as she felt the paralysis seeped throughout her body.

The two men had gone on without her, each lunging and blocking in turn, neither holding the upper hand as of yet. Nasir's mouth was set in a grim line while Caspian smiled jubilantly, as if he had already won.

But Darkstar, who was highly trained in the art of swordplay, noticed that Nasir's strokes were far more fluid, while Caspian's were jerky and powerful. Though this granted Nasir, only one of Nasir's blows seeped through Caspian's defenses and that tore off his sleeve roughly from the elbow down.

There was an insignia on his arm…

_Darkstar curled up, wishing it all would end. The home she had known was all in flames around her, and the ash and smoke stung her eyes. A beam had long since collapsed, barring the door. She sat in the corner of her closet crying, waiting for death to come…_

_But a man with a mark on his right forearm somehow managed to reach her. While half of her was thankful for the rescue, the other half recognized him as the man who had murdered her family…_

"You're…" Darkstar stared for a while, as if unable to speak. "Wait, Nasir he's a Crimson Follower!"

Nasir turned to her, and then back to Caspian, but his opponent had taken advantage of the brief lapse in Nasir's concentration. A flaming ball shot out of his palm and hit Nasir squarely in the chest.

Time did not slow as she had heard, it all happened so fast. Darkstar screamed something but couldn't hear herself. But Nasir could, and he smiled at her. "I regret nothing," he whispered weakly before his eyes closed and he collapsed on the ground.

Caspian was now advancing toward her, and she drew herself up to her feet. She stared at him, not even aware of the tears that spilled from her eyes. "I won't let you take me…" she choked.

Caspian only extended a hand. "Try to stop me, Shekiah." The next words were muttered under his breath softly.

And then all Darkstar could see was black…but she could hear a blood-curdling scream.

_Her_ scream, she realized with a shock.

"Hyrule awaits you, Shekiah," Caspian hissed before shadows clouded her vision. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two (Anay - Anay101)

_She stood in the battlefield, finding her enemy. He just stood there, looking amused, his eyes locked onto hers. They were both standing in the middle of the battlefield, his soldiers battling hers. She walked through the clashing weapons, She wanted to run, but didn't, not wanting to rush into a trap. She stood in front of him, her sword drawn._

_"We need to talk."_

_Her enemy smiled maliciously. "Of course we do." He took his dagger and stabbed her in the stomach. Her shrill cry turned into a blood-curling scream as he twisted the dagger. With the last of her strength, she took her sword and stabbed him in the heart. She let go of the sword, falling back. She felt someone catch her._

_"Link!" The shriek was not her own, and she fell into darker blackness._

* * *

"Link!" The whispered cry was the first word uttered from the panting Anay. She heard something stir, and jerked her head in the direction of the noise. Her mother shifted in her sleep and muttered something unintelligible. Anay got up from her pallet on the dirt floor of the hut she and her mother lived in, and went to check on her mother, Neva.

"Mahtem, Mahtem, wake up. Your fever's returning." Neva started awake, beads of sweat running down her face.

"Groch. Where's Groch?"

"Mahtem, calm down. Father is…away. He'll be back soon."

Neva calmed down, lying back down on her raised pallet. Anay took the cold, wet rag from the bowl of fresh rainwater and gently wiped her mother's face. For ten years Anay's father, Groch had been dead. Her mother's health had declined rapidly in her grief, and soon it was up to Anay to ensure Neva's health and her own. Having to provide for herself had made Anay strong, and her body was muscled and thin. Her face was pinched with worry as Neva slowly fell back into the quiet, even breathing of sleep. The sun's rays were just coming over the trees of the Kokiri forest, the haven where they lived. Anay glanced at her mother one last time and, certain now that she was in deep sleep, exited their petite hut and started collecting food. She gathered a carrot from their vegetable garden and fed it to her horse, Epos, who was rumored to be the brother of Epona, the great stallion of the legendary Link. Anay went into the forest, going to where she knew the best mushrooms and nuts were.

At midday, Anay traveled back to the village, her sack full of provisions. She fed one of Epos's favorite mushrooms to him, and went to her mother. Neva was still asleep. Anay started a fire in the pit in the middle of the hut and put a cast-iron pot on the rack above it. The stew of mushrooms and rabbit meat that Anay had retrieved the day before made an array of delicious smells, and Neva stirred again, this time to sit up and breathe in the smells of the medley. Anay glanced back at her mother.

"Mahtem, it's almost ready. I'll be there in a little bit."

"Is Groch home?"

"No, Mahtem, not yet."

Anay was surprised that her mother had remembered the conversation from that morning.

* * *

Anay panted, her nightmare slowly receding. Many days had passed in a like manner since the remembrance of the morning conversation. Neva's health got worse, and then came the time when both she and Anay knew that she would pass soon. Anay's nightmare had haunted her every night, her enemy's eyes growing darker and more malevolent with each passing night. Neva sat up, concerned with the panting of her only child.

"Songbird?"

Anay jerked her head in Neva's direction, the panting far from receding. Songbird was the nickname her father had given her, convinced that his daughter had the best singing voice in all the forest. Neva had not used that nickname since her husband left for his journey, where he was killed.

"Songbird, I am so sorry. I had been selfish, letting myself get carried away in my grief. I forgot about you. Please forgive me. Now I fear it is too late to start being a family again."

Anay felt the tears growing in her eyes.

"No, Mahtem, it isn't too late. We have plenty of time. We have the rest of time."

"Anay, it is too late for me. I have to go see Groch now, but I will not leave you completely alone. I am going to send the Shekiah."

"What Shekiah?"

Neva spoke softly now.

"The Shekiah from your dreams."

As Neva drew her last breath, Anay crumpled to the floor, blackness overcoming her.

* * *

Darkness swam around her, surrounding her in the bleak discolor that it was. Anay panicked, trying to find her way through the hopeless blob that was her subconscious. She turned in circles, looking for a way out, looking for the voice that menacingly whispered her name. The whisper grew louder, followed by wicked laughs of ideas of what to do with her, how the voice could take more of her sanity. Anay crouched down into a ball, putting her head in her hands so they covered her ears, trying to block the sound, trying to keep her mind intact. Then it came.

The light, so faint at first, gradually getting brighter, slowly scaring the voice so that the last sound it made was of panic. The light traveled across the darkness now like a wing travels over the ground in flight. With the light came a whole new landscape, the blue sky, an enclosed meadow surrounded by huge trees, the meadow filled with soft, billowing grass that swayed in the soft, fragrant wind. Anay recognized the flowers in the grass. They were a mixture of her and her mother's favorite. At the top of the hill in the middle of the meadow stood Neva, dressed in a glorious, soft white dress that swayed in the wind, a picture of perfection.

Anay knelt at her mother's feet, clutching her dress, burrowing her streaming face in the silky fabric Neva smiled softly and gently took Anay's shoulders, guiding her to stand. Anay looked up into her mother's eyes, tears slowing down into a trickle. The sun shone behind Neva's head, creating a glowing halo around her face. Anay let the tears flow freely again. Neva's smile started to fade, and put her hands firmly on Anay's shoulders until Anay looked up again, then smiled and started straightening Anay's dress. Anay stood there, surprised at what she was wearing.. She was dressed in a flowing, simple, winter blue gown, ending at her ankles, her loose sleeves fitting just past her shoulders. Her dress was silky like Neva's. Anay looked back at her mother, who had finished pruning her. Anay felt something above her ear, and felt her hair, pulled back, some of it loosely blowing in the gentle, flowing wind. Flowers were entwined in her hair, most of the roses, and she felt three small, blooming roses, their petals soft and fragrant above her ear. Anay looked in surprise at her mother, who was standing a judging distance away, her hands clasped in front of her, beaming with joy and pride.

"Songbird, you look beautiful."

The words were whispered, so as not to disturb the tranquil scene. Anay and her mother sat in the soft grass of the meadow, the sun warming them perfectly so they were not too cold or hot. They sat, talking of all that had transpired since Neva had entered her personal coma. Neva jerked her had up, as if listening to something on the wind, something silent that Anay strained to hear but could not. Neva turned back, her face filled with panic.

Anay, who had been leaning back on her hands, sat up hurriedly, her worry plainly seen.

"Songbird, I have to go ."

"No, Mahtem, you don't. We can just stay right here-"

"No, Anay. You don't understand. Your task here is not finished I am grateful I was granted an audience of your great presence."

"Mahtem, what are you talking about? I want to stay here, with you…."

"Anay, listen to me," Neva's voice was filled with urgency," I have to let you go. You have to let me go. We know each other now. You will always have this memory dominant over all memories of me. That is my gift. I will give you one more dream… a dream of the Shekiah…."

"No Mahtem!"

Neva was already gone, as was the landscape. Anay found herself in the darkness once again.


End file.
